Meal Planning and Fitness - I work out!

It has been awhile since my last meal planning and exercise post so I thought I would update you.

Sadly, my weight loss has not been happening.  I know this is me being lazy and refusing to cut somethings from my diet.  However, it is time to be accountable.  I am back up to 172 and not pleased. To be honest, I had been avoiding the scale because I knew I had been slipping.  But, like I said, time for a change.

I've been speaking with some friends and have decided that I think the next meal planning I am going to try is more of a protein and veggie diet.  I am not going crazy extreme but decided that I would try out Paleo.  This is like my diet in China, mostly because there were no breads and cheeses that were any good.  It was also the time in my life when I was my skinniest.  So, I pulled out Paleo for Beginners and decided to give it a try.

The book I chose is called 'Paleo for Beginners'.  I liked this because, one, it is for beginners, and two it has a 7 day meal plan laid out for you.  The recipes seem good and easy to do, not much prep and most of the time they don't take too long to cook.

My big concern I have is making sure that the things we are cooking, the boys will want to eat too. So, when I looked through the book, I made sure to pick things that I thought they would like.

So our plan is as follows:

Sunday:  Paleo Lasagna and Green Beans

Monday:  Caveman Chicken Nuggets and Paleo fries

Tuesday:  Left Over Day

Wednesday:  Nectarine and Onion Pork Chops with Roasted Broccoli

Thursday:  Lemon Garlic Chicken with Grilled Asapargus

Friday:  Left Over Day

The boys and I were able to get all the supplies we needed at two stores.  I was pleased that it was not too expensive.  I think total for everything we spent about $75 for the week.  One thing I really love about Paleo is how it looks, and by that, I mean all of the fresh foods you use.  I am guilty of often reheating frozen meals because I am too lazy to cook, but paleo really is based off of that fresh food.  I will let you know after the week is done how it all turned out and the verdict from the boys.  Hope you are all having a fantastic week!

On the fitness front, my wonderful coworkers have agreed to work out with me twice a week after school.  This has helped me out a lot because even when I am tired and maybe not wanting to work out, they are there to help motivate me.  Currently we are using my DVD Slim Sleek and Fast.  I really like this workout because it is not too difficult and really works.

We have also talked about extending a fitness challenge to the rest of the staff at our school to help motivate us more.  We haven't gotten any further than that, but I will keep you posted if we decided to move forward with that.

Thanks for reading and if you have any really good Paleo recipes that you want to share, comment and let me know!  Happy weekend!

Teaching Fashion…another week

Greetings all, here is another installment of my teaching wardrobe.  I only have three outfits this week because I cannot seem to find the other two photos I took.  Anyway, here they are broken down.

For one of my outfits I used my new Stitch Fix sweater.  I paired it with my Old Navy skirt that I got years and years ago.  To break up the black, I added a red tank top underneath.  I really liked the look and liked how it felt.  It was really easy to move around in and easy to teach in which is key.  My only concern I had was that I'm worried I am getting too casual again.  What do you guys think?













The second look I had this week was a simple one.  It consisted of two Stitch Fix pieces, my new pants and black top.  I wore some of my old boots with the pants so that they would not drag.  I will need to get these hemmed to make sure that I don't step on the bottoms of them.  I want them to last for a lonnnngggg time.

My last outfit that I had is another Fix top and my Target cropped pants. If you can't tell in this picture, this was my Friday outfit and I was ready for the weekend.  I like the color pairing of these to items and think they look professional.  Not sure how I like my muffin top in the shirt, but hopefully that will be going away!


So, what did you think?  Any ideas on things I can change or mix it up? Let me know!

Stitch Fix Review #6

Stitch Fix has done it again.

I got home from work and was so excited to see that little brown package waiting at my door.  My stylist Keri (a good sign) really did a great job listening to what I wanted and delivered.  She went to my Pinterest board and also listened to my notes from the last Fix.  I asked for specifically some blazers and bottoms.   I have a lot of great tops, but was realizing I have very few pants that I like wearing with them.

Here are the items broken down.

Item 1: Market and Spruce Fierro Elbow Patch Crew Neck Sweater

I was so excited when I saw this item in my Fix.  I had requested it not only on the notes but also on my pinterest board.  She sent me a black sweater with grey patches on the elbow.  I really love the fit of this sweater and the length.  It is another light one that I can see wearing out casually or to school.  The only thing that is tricky with it is that it is not as soft as the last one.  Easy enough, I can wear and undershirt with it.

Status: Kept

Item 2: Kensie Rebekah Blazer

I was really eager to try this on as I had seen it in some other reviews.  It is a really cute navy color with a polka dot lining.  Holler.  I loved the feel of it and the look but sadly, it does not work on my body type.  This is why I love Stitch Fix since I can try the stuff on and send it back.  I used to be a swimmer so I have really broad shoulders and sadly, the blazer brings that out.

Sadly, I did not like the look and have to come to terms with the fact that I am just not a blazer ‘girl’.

Status: Returned

Item 3:  Pixley Torin Frech Terry Stripe Blazer

I was interested in this top that Keri sent me and figured it could go either really well or not.  I loved the material since it was stretchy and able to give some give.  However, I really didn’t like the length of the top.  I tried it on and had the same problem as I did with the Rebekah blazer.  I wish I was able to pull these off but sadly, no.  Status: Returned

Item 4:  Kut From the Kloth Siena Cropped Pant 

Again, thank you stylist for listening to what I had requested in the box.  I was excited to see some black pants in there that I could wear to work with a lot of the tops that I have gotten.  I tried them on and quickly found that the cut was not what I wanted.  Although they fit, the material was not what I wanted and I guess they were too tight because the pockets did a little poking out.  No good.    Status: Returned

Item 5: Level 99 Aly Flare Jean

I was interested to try these jeans because I have not had a flare jean since high school.  I tried them on and fell in love.  The cut is really cute and flattering.  I like the color of them and really like the fit.  I also like that they are long enough.  I am an awkward length (not Regular but also too short for Long) and these worked.  I will have to get them hemmed because they drag a little but not too much.  These were a fun surprise that I was happy to get.  Status: Kept

So overall, a 2/5 fix.  I am not disappointed because I really love the items I kept.  It was also more of an experiment box with the tops.  I am liking how I can start requesting certain types of items since my base wardrobe is getting to what I want it to be.

If you want to try Stitch Fix, click one of the many links.  If you have ideas on how to wear the items I kept from previous posts, let me know and I can try it out.

Happy Fix day!

Make Up 2.0

My new attempt at eye shadow

As I said in the first post about this make up makeover… I had no idea what to do.  I have been using the same things everyday and I think it has been going well.  My co-workers are very kind and compliment me (thanks guys) which makes me feel better about it.

Vintage Selection Pro Longwear 

For my eyes I have been keeping it really simple with a MAC eye shadow that is a bronzy gold.  It is really easy because it requires no brush, just your finger and to slide it on the lid.  My kinda product.  When I bought it, the lady told me if I wanted to add some brown eyeshadow on top if it it would make the sparkles stand out more.  I didn't own any at the time, so I had not idea.  However, that was all about to change (dun dun dunnnn)

With the purchase of some of these new clothes, I though that it may be beneficial to maybe try some different colors then'Vintage Selection'.  Plus, I had been watching a lot of the Kardashians and they are good at make up… that's how I feel at least.  So, inspired, I packed up the boys and drove over to the local Walmart.  

Going through the cosmetics section I still feel really out of place.  There are a million kinds of make up, and million shades and then there is me, with two toddler boys, pretending to know what I am looking for.  I headed for the Maybelline section because 'maybe I was born with it' and maybe they would have something that screamed 'dummy proof'.  There I saw a kit that looked promising, I liked the colors and when I lifted it to inspect it, it had the dummy proof application picture!  I nervously picked out two that I liked (a brown and olive) and headed for the check out.

I took them home, and I will be honest, didn't open them for about a week.  Although I had my picture guide I was skeptical.  Finally, I decided to give it a try.  I think the olive shade looks okay on me.  I am not sure if I am not putting enough on, putting too much on, or if the color is just not good with my skin tone.  What do you guys think?  Leave me a comment or message to fill me in.

I think the brown was nice and really subtle.  Again, I was not sure if I was putting on enough or if it's just supposed to be meh.

Chai Latte 22Q and Olive Martini 37T

Are there colors that you think would look good with my skin tone?  Eye products that you love and think are very user friendly?  Let me know so I can give them a try!

Update *sorry for the delay

Wow - sorry blogging world.  I have had a crazy couple of weeks.  A plague hit the Martin house, and by Martin house, I mean myself.  So I apologize for the delay in posting.

Overall I feel I have been doing 'okay' with the fashion portion of my challenge.  Although I have several tops that I like, I find that I don't have a lot of pants that fit well and I think that is something that is hindering my judgement.  Granted, once the weight (fingers crossed) comes off, they will fit better - however, I made a point to tell my stylist in my next Fix that I wanted pants that I could wear and feel confident in.  And if they were a little sassy that would be okay too….

Anyway, let me take you through the past two weeks of fashion.  I will say, it is not complete as I was sick and so I did not go to work for several days.

One of my favorite outfits that I think I have worn twice in the last couple of weeks.  This is one of my Fix shirts that I really love.  The sweater is really soft and it is not too thick so it doesn't get crazy hot.  I am wearing them with a pair of Levi pants that I received from my sister in law.  They are a boot cut that I roll at the bottom.  I think this outfit is a little more casual then I want to go sometimes, but it is hard to say no with how comfy it is.  The more and more I wear it as well, I really like the colors.  It also inspired me to try some different eye make up as well (that will come in the next post).

Another Fix shirt that I got recently.  I really love this Cobalt color on me and think that the cut of the shirt is really flattering.  I never knew I would be so much of a tunic kinda girl.  I guess when you are hiding that extra love, a tunic goes a long way.  :)  I paired this shirt with a pair of Lucky boyfriend cut jeans that I got from my mom… Because why not.  She picked them up at Marshalls so I didn't feel too bad.  I like the color but am not thrilled with the cut.  I think I would like them if they were in a 'long' versus 'regular'.

This is taken from a pervious post where some comments were made about maybe combining this shirt with the pants and I love it!  I was really scared in the beginning because my thought - pattern on pattern, are you cray cray?!  But, for some reason it works.  So thank you guys for the suggestion!  I appreciate this feedback and encourage any other readers to do the same so I can take your ideas and maybe mix some things together that I normally wouldn't.

These are both Stitch Fix pieces and I really love them more and more each time I wear them.  The pants are a cropped fit which I never really have worn before but really like how they make my legs look.

The boys decided to join in these photos as I started to get more creative, using the 'nice' camera versus the ghetto phone ones.

An early morning shot if you can tell by Calvin's face.  I wore a blue pencil skirt with a core value shirt from my district.  One thing that I am trying to do is to not go 'all casual' but maybe making the bottoms dressier if the top is more casual.  What do you think?  Does it work or is it too weird?  I am also wearing my favorite Croc sandals that I have to order online.  I purchased my first pair in China years ago and have never gone back.  I really love the cut of them and they are extremely comfortable.  I also have a pedicure right now so I am not as afraid to wear sandals.

Another fun addition to my wardrobe is my new necklace that I got for my 31st birthday.  It is a simple chair with two charms with the names of my boys on them.  I really love this and am such a happy mommy.  The great thing is it goes with everything (or so I think because it has the boys' names on them).


So how did I do?  Leave me some comments and suggestions of things you would like to see me try or ideas you have with some of the pieces that you have seen.  I really appreciate it and hope you are all having a fabulous week!

Freezer Meals in Review

Now for an update on the diet of the hour.  Last week I tried freezer meals to see how I like that and if it was something that I would look more into for the future.

Overall, I am not thrilled with them and will explain my reasoning.

I really loved the idea of everything being prepped and ready to go.  However, it could just be with these, but I found that there was still prep that needed to be done on the day of serving.  So, although I made a crazy mess on Sunday, I still ending up making lots of mess on the day that we ate.  We also would have to bake or cook certain parts of them (which I get) but it seemed like it would almost be easier to just make it the day of.

I don't feel that I saved any time with prepping and freezing them.  It almost took more time with having to make sure to thaw the food and prep on the day versus just doing the cooking that day.  I get that it maybe saved some time with the meat, but for most of it I could have thrown it in the croc pot or something.

I don't think that it helped me eat healthier.  Granted, I know this could be a lot with the recipes, but it was a lot of carbs and pasta sauce and things that can freeze easily.  There was no fresh produce or anything like that and I felt that with our meal planning we were more conscious of making those healthier choice.

I don't think it helped us save that much money.  I feel that our grocery bill was pretty comparable for when we have just mapped out our meals.

I really loved trying this out and really wanted it to work better than it did.  Maybe I am just looking in the wrong place?  Any readers out there have good suggestions of healthier freezer meals that really did cut down the prep time?

As for our menu this week - last week I was sick so several of the meals are still in the freezer that we will cook them.  We also will be doing Tri Tip from Costco tomorrow for football.  I will let you know what other fun things we try as we go.

Thanks again for reading and I will let you know our next health venture!

Stitch Fix Review #5

Hello world, this is my first official Stitch Fix review but technically the 5th package I have received.  I will start doing this as I receive my Fixes and let you know the things I keep and so on.

Item 1
Kathy Striped Fit & Flare Dress (returned)

     This was a surprise from my stylist and she said that she thought it would look really great with a blazer for teaching.  I tried it on and added my own belt that I had to break it up.  I really loved the fabric of this dress but did not feel comfortable in it at all.  I thought it was too tight and I also did not like the sleeves and how they fit on me.  I was disappointed but in the end, returned it.




Item 2
41Hawthorn Rowson Colorblock Striped Sweater (kept)
     I was really excited when I saw that this was in my fix!  I had pinned this on my pinterest board and was thinking how much I was going to love it.  When I opened the box I was disappointed because it was not the color that I had pinned.  However, when I tried it on I actually liked the colors on my more than I would have the lighter sweater.  This is also a great sweater because it is not very heavy so I didn't get crazy hot while I was teaching in it.  However, it is warm enough that I wasn't cold.  I kept it and have already worn it three different times.




Item 3
Collective Concepts Bradley V-Neck Blouse (kept)
     I had no idea one way or another if I was going to like this top but when I tried it on I really liked it. I often get nervous about looking too large in the chest (if you know what I mean) with these shirts that drape but was happy to find that it didn't happen with this one.  I really loved the cobalt color of the shirt too.  I think it will look really nice with either a skirt or pants.  I kept this one and have worn it once to school already.


Item 4
Pixley - June Polka Dot Skirt (returned)     I was really looking forward to this skirt as I had also pinned it.  I really like that my stylist looked at all of those things so that I could try them.  However, I did not like it as much as I thought I would.  Looking back if I styled it differently I may have been more apt to keep it but I did not like how it fit on me.  :(  Boo.  I really wanted that one to work.




Item 5
41Hawthorn Carmelita Crew Neck Blouse (returned)
     This was a surprise shirt too that my stylist thought I should try because she knows how obsessed I am with polka dots.  I tried the shirt and really liked the fabric.  On the back it was really cute because it had a gold exposed zipper that I liked, however, I thought it fit too short.  I don't need to be showing off that post c-section belly o mine.  I ended up sending this back but did not dislike it as much as I thought that I would.


Overall it was an okay fix.  2/5 which isn't too bad.  Much better for my pocket book.  I liked that my stylist listened to my board and wanted to let me try some things that I thought I would like.  This is why I love Stitch Fix.  They send me things to try and I can decide if I want them or not.  Now, I can work with them from here to find things that work for me.  For my next Fix I have asked for bottoms and jackets to help even out my tops.  Hope you enjoyed!

If you want to try Stitch Fix out, I highly recommend it.  Use my referral link so I can get some credit!  Cheers!